Of Cats and Dogs: A Hidden Love
by ShagsterP
Summary: Hai! Next short chapter (#4) added to my Felicia/Talbain action/romance story! Hai! Please continue reading! Hai! Do enjoy! HAI!!!
1. The Canine

**The Canine**

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Red and gray.  A thin line of blood mingled with the werewolf's thick fur.

What a night… 

The lupine smirked, thinking back on the event that had taken place about an hour ago.  It was just his luck that he would run into a guy intent on doing battle with a Darkstalker.  He was nobody special, just an ordinary hothead with misled hopes of victory.  But he learned his lesson in the end.

The werewolf couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed.  Even with all his fighting expertise, the man had succeeded in cutting his right forearm with a concealed knife.  The pain had ceased after cleansing the wound out in a nearby lake, but the sting of anger and humility still endured.

Was this all the Darkstalkers meant to these people?  It seemed that he was either high-priced game or a threat to everything living.  There was no in between, not even for those few who chose not to bring their wrath upon the humans.  But why did he use his lycanthrope curse to help the mortals?  They showed no gratitude in return, labeling him and every other Darkstalker the same as the wretched Dark.  After years of living with his curse, he still did not quite understand where he was going in life or what he was destined for.  There were so many questions; he could just feel that there was someone out there with all of the answers.

Years ago he had just been a normal human: Jonathan Talbain, the famous martial artist.  This was before the Darkstalker within him had emerged; this was when he still had a strong purpose in life.

As soon as the werewolf began to rest, his ears perked up, catching the sound of multiple footsteps moving toward his position.  However, he refrained from hiding.  He had been expecting visitors, after all.

A child's voice called out from the darkness.  "Jon!"

"Over here."  The werewolf spoke in a deep and somewhat rumbling tone of voice.

Two children, both dirty and wearing tattered clothing, came running over to him.

"Mr. Talbain, are you all right?"  The younger boy, James, always addressed him formally.  The older boy, Gregory, was more ornery, but still held respect for the lupine and looked to him as a fatherly figure.  Jon had been training these children for months, teaching them how to defend themselves in such a dangerous world.  Even after his transformation, the boys remained loyal pupils.  They were young and rebellious, but he had taught them much discipline.  They were the only humans he could trust.  They were one of the few reasons he remained sane.


	2. The Feline

**The Feline**

The church bell resounded and numerous children piled out of the run-down building.  Early Sunday Mass had ended and the day had begun.  Once the children had all gone out to play, three nuns exited the church.

"Well, they certainly seem more excited to leave than they are to attend," one of the nuns stated.

The second nun jumped right into the statement as though she had been waiting for it to be spoken.  "Exactly!  That is why each of the little devils should be disciplined.  Our Father would not tolerate such disobedience."

"Now, now, Sister.  They're only children.  Let them have their fun.  I'm quite sure that they have taken to heart everything we've said of the Lord, our Saviour," the first nun skillfully countered in her usual passive manner.

The second nun grumbled.  "I can almost hear the blasphemous thoughts in their heads."  She turned to the third nun, who had been silently watching the youngsters at play.  "What are your thoughts, Sister Felicia?"

Sister Felicia.

She was still not used to responding to that title.  Although she wasn't much for religion, Felicia had discovered that the only way to start an orphanage and to get help in running it was to become a nun.  But as long as she could keep these orphans from living the same lonely life she had been through, she would have no regrets.  Besides, she thought it was fun to be the first Darkstalker to become a nun.  Of course, she could never reveal her identity to the others; she would surely be mistaken for a Dark one.

"Sister, are you all right?"  The calmest of the three grew worried for the daydreaming Felicia.

"…What?  O-oh, I'm fine, really."  The blue-haired girl turned to them both, obliviousness glaring through her sweet smile.  "I was just lost in thought for a moment.  Please, you two enjoy yourselves.  I'll watch over the children, okay?"  She giggled and dashed off for the courtyard, eager to interact in the children's playtime.  Her aptitude for simple pleasures never seemed to fade.  Perhaps that was why children adored her so much.  The children at the orphanage loved spending time with Felicia and she enjoyed giving them all the attention she possibly could.  But still…

She felt a tug on her cloth from behind, turning to discover the shyest little boy among the entire group of children standing before her.  He looked downward, teetering back and forth on his heels with his hands behind his back.  Felicia tilted her head to the side and gave the boy a comforting smile, bending down until she was at eye level with the lad.  "What's wrong, Kory?  Is there something you wanted to tell me?  Don't worry, I won't get mad."  The little boy known as Kory only laughed and placed a small flower in her hair, running off to the others soon afterwards.  These things happened on a daily basis for Felicia.  She plucked the flower from her hair and held it in her fur-covered palm; a simple daisy with a petal missing.  She giggled to herself then released a contrary sigh as she lifted her gaze to the sky.  She could feel it.  Whenever life became so happy and free, there was always something waiting to disrupt everything she had worked for.  Time and time again her intuition had proven correct, and now she could feel it again. 


	3. The Everlasting Struggle: A New Enemy Em...

**The Everlasting Struggle: A New Enemy Emerges**

"I'm surprised that a man with such a high social standing would be interested in our services, Mr. Talbain."

"Regent…"

"Yes, of course.  _Regent_ Talbain."

Jonathan, now lacking his wolfish side, was becoming uneasy.  His guide, a stubby man decked in cheap clothing that imitated a rich man's attire, had been leading him down a hallway lined with broken windows and rustic walls.

The goal of deceiving the man had been fairly simple with his credible act of superiority.  Having stolen an expensive outfit from one of the less needy residents in town, his guise made it seem all the more convincing.  His brooding attitude kept the short man's gaze from falling onto him as they walked along.  He could do nothing of the common look of his silver hair, but he'd rather die before wearing one of those humiliating wigs.  As they neared his planned destination, Jon knew his charade was about to come to an end.

The guide, having irritability for prolonged silence, fished for words.  "Again, this is unusual.  But I'd be a fool to question you.  I'm sure one of 'these' will work out splendid enough."

Talbain clenched his fist in secret anger.  "I'm certain…"

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, which consisted of a large rotting door outlined with debris, the short man laid his lantern to rest on a chipped pedestal.  "And here we are."  He proceeded to shove the door open, revealing to Jonathan a large room filled with long rows of wooden tables and chairs.  On the tables were plates filled with a substance that could hardly be labeled edible.  Most notably were the children seated at those tables.  Tattered clothing adorned their bodies and bruises ornamented their hands and faces.  Jonathan stepped forward and inhaled the musky scent lingering in the air, even the smell of things giving a dismal sensation.  Looks like it was time to put the plan in action.

Making his way past the man he had been walking with, he addressed the working children as though they were the only ones who existed in the room.  "You can all go now.  You know where to meet.  Follow the boy Thomas and he'll show you the way there."

Blinking in astonishment, the stubby man blurted out his words.  "W-wh-what are you doing?!"

"I'm freeing every child here and there's not a damn thing you're going to do about it…or I'll rip your eyes out."  Jonathan's hand on the man's throat cut his sentence off entirely.  He had played this scene over too many times before and the resistance was getting more annoying each and every time.  Dropping his former guide to the floor, he stood watch until each of the children escaped down the hallway.  Of course, he had already made sure to dispose of the guards near that area.

"Grotz, what are you standing there for?!  Kill him, already!"  The injured man's demands sputtered out in between coughs and wheezes.

"Grotz, huh…" Jonathan stared blankly in the direction of the large bald man charging at him from across the room.  As soon as he neared, the fighting expert merely flowed underneath the big man's first swing, then jutted his fist out in a chopping motion to strike the back of his neck.  It took a moment, but the large man called Grotz inevitably fell to the ground, unconscious and on his face.  "Let this be a lesson," Talbain explained to the stunned owner of the factory, staring down at him coldly from the side.  Gritting his teeth and bringing his hands to his face, he wore a sudden look of pain.  It passed quickly, however, as he brought his arms down forcefully.  In that instant, his outer disguise tore into shreds and the howl of the emerging werewolf pierced the air, shattering the previously unbroken windows surrounding them.  He turned to the terrified man again, a creature of fur, muscle, teeth, and claws.  "Humans can be even more disgusting than the Dark ones at times."

He left the man shivering in fear for his life, content with the outcome of things.  It was like this every time, though.  These people truly were scum, yet still as human as the children he constantly freed.  This concept confused him and so he tried to ignore it, but every now and then it would sneak back into his mind.  Even this small amount of good left him empty.  Is this all he could do?  He knew it was the right thing, but it failed to show any progress.  He would never get the answers he so longed for at this rate…

The night air struck him in the face, refreshing his senses after being in that rancid building for so long.  But something else drifted along the night air, carrying the familiar scent of…a Darkstalker!  He was sure of it, although the scent was of someone unknown.  A new sound echoed in the darkness, the sound of a single person clapping.

A male's voice rang out from beside a nearby tree.  "Bravo.  I commend you on your services, Darkstalker."

"You're a new face.  Let me see it…" Jonathan made his demand clear.  The figure responded by stepping minutely forward from the darkness, which concealed all but a small portion of his face.  "Oh, what's this?  Another Darkstalker who enjoys intimidation?  Sorry, but that won't work on me."

The eyes of the stranger narrowed in anger.  "No, I'm not!  I'm not what you are!!!"  The darkness itself responded to his outburst, shooting forward from the being in odd shapes.  Jon's eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to leap backwards as the black muck slammed into the ground where he stood only moments ago, breaking the earth into pieces.

As soon as he landed, another tendril of darkness collided with his chest and carried him into the wall of the building.  He flinched at the crushing sensation but managed to liberate himself by slicing downward with his claws, cutting off its grip for the needed amount of time.  What the hell was that?!  He hardly ever saw another Darkstalker with this sort of power.  He'd be damned if he would disappoint those children by not showing up, though.  The next attack would be his chance to inflict some damage and hopefully end this fight.

The dark appendages flew predictably towards him once more and he prepared himself.  "This is it!  Here goes – huh?!"  The werewolf's attack ended as fast as it began.  The tendrils halted in mid-attack, stopped by a thin piece of paper with Japanese lettering on it.

"Dark one, your time has come!"

Not another one…this was getting out of hand.  But this one was familiar.  It only took him a few seconds to realize who the new participant was in this little dance.  "Not you!"

On the corner of the roof stood the female Dark hunter, large metallic arms hanging limply from the sleeves of her reddish Chinese dress.  "Hsien-ko is here to vanquish you!"  The hunter, hopping from the rooftop, landed gracefully beside Talbain and faced their opponent.

"Tell me what the hell you're doing here!"  The werewolf growled out his words, but neither of them faced away from the enemy.

"Looks like I'm saving your furry butt, dog boy," she retorted.

They were both prepared to fight, but the attacker denied them the privilege as his manipulated darkness contracted back to his form.  "This is just a taste of things to come.  I will kill all Darkstalkers and you will make that known.  You sicken me with your ways and your miserable lives spent destroying the lives of others.  You _will_ know the meaning of vengeance!"  Enveloping himself in the darkness, the enemy that remained a mystery seemingly melted into the ground, leaving only a small circle of scorched earth as proof of ever having been there.

Hsien-ko blinked in confusion of the situation.  "Huh, how weird.  Isn't he one of us, too?  I don't get it."  She turned to Jonathan for answers only to find him walking off in the other direction.  "Hey, wait!  What's your problem?  Aren't you wondering about this at all?"

"I could care less," the lupine coldly responded.  "Figure it out for yourself, why don't you.  I've got other things to do."  He continued along his way, intent on keeping his promise to the children.

"Yea, you're welcome!!!…geez, what a jerk…" Hsien-ko stared off in the direction where the attacker once stood.  "But I wonder what that was all about…"


	4. Promise: Scene 1

((Well, I'm glad I've gotten good reviews for what little I've written.  Inspired me to make a little addition to the story.  Not much, but I felt obligated to do more.  All hail the Felicia/Talbain pairing!!!  Eh-heh, it sure is difficult to write multiple stories at one time…))

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**Promise**

**Scene One**

Prowling the streets, perusing the nightlife, and joining in as many large performances as she could, these were just a few of Felicia's usual pastimes.  She revered the type of lifestyle her fellow nuns practiced, but at the same time she could not deny what she was, and that was a creature that loved life and existed loudly in the world.  Felicia cringed whenever she imagined herself locked away day and night in that suffocating convent, unable to take part in the entertainment that commonly presented itself every night in the form of street parades and performances.  She had to be there every time, directly in the middle of the commotion.  Entertaining others was her second most favorite hobby; it made her feel alive to herself and the world, making her name as a talented individual and not just as a Darkstalker.

However, this night's venture set aside personal enjoyment and served a different purpose.  The feline paced back and forth among the vacant street.  This stealthy endeavor had been going on for quite a while now without fault, but she still worried nonetheless.  Something was bound to go wrong one of these days; she just hoped that it wouldn't be anytime soon.

But before her thoughts could get the better of her a small group of children approached her from a side alleyway, asking for her by name.  "Oh, you found me.  I'm Felicia," she assured them with a welcoming smile, seating herself onto her heels.  "You must be the new children.  How would you like a nice place to live?  All you have to do is be good and go to church every Sunday and be sure to pay your respects.  Does that sound good?"  The children emphatically agreed.

Felicia smiled warmly once more, and then looked beyond the children to the large cloaked figure at the opposite end of the alley.  The person watched in silence, then turned to leave.  "Wait!"  Felicia called out and sprang forward, demonstrating her feline reflexes as she soared above the astonished children, ricocheted off the side of a wall, and landed behind the cloaked figure.  "Wait…"

"You're looking well, Felicia," came the voice beneath the cloak.

"Jonathan…I wanted to say thank you."  The werewolf turned to her without a word, but she continued.  "How did it go?  Everything went okay, right?"

"There was some resistance.  Nothing that could stop me from keeping my promise."  It was an outright lie and he knew it, but felt it necessary.  As long as his promise was fulfilled, that was all that mattered.  He recalled when he had first pledged it and was sure that Felicia remembered, as well.  Some time ago the world had quieted down somewhat, the terror of the Darkstalkers subsiding for the time being as most tried to blend in unnoticed while those of the Dark sat in wait, fabricating their next scheme.  It was in that time that the werewolf found himself lost again, fallen from the path of purpose and into the life of question that had become so familiar.  That was when he had come across Felicia at the orphanage and his promise had been born.  It gave him duty and a slight reason to exist; he would hold on to that for as long as possible.  "I have to go."

"Something happened, didn't it?"  Felicia could sense the difference in his speech, despite how blunt it usually was.

"Nothing, I…" He suddenly felt dizzy.

"Do you…do you have a place to stay?  It's going to rain tonight.  There are empty rooms at the orphanage.  It really wouldn't be any trouble if you stayed for a while."

The lupine closed his eyes and raised a hand to his forehead.  "I'm fine!  I said there's nothing wrong.  There's nothing…" He staggered, placing a clawed hand against the brick surface of a wall to support himself, failing as he dropped to the ground.

"Jonathan!"  Felicia dropped to the ground beside him.  "What's wrong?!  What's going on?!"  She grasped his sides and rolled him onto his back, his cloak falling open in doing so.  She gasped, startled by an unnerving discovery.  Mixed within the white fur of the werewolf's chest was a ragged streak of a black liquid substance that she had never seen before.  Without knowing it, she had gotten a small amount of the unknown substance on her hand upon moving the unconscious Jonathan.  She examined the material closely, stunned by what she saw.  "What…what is this?"  The liquid moved and shifted its form slowly on her hand of its own accord, as though it had a life of its own.  Felicia gazed at it, then looked to Jonathan once more.  She was at a lack for words or actions.  She was terrified.


End file.
